I push my way to the bar and find a stool open. I order a bottle of water. As I crack the lid my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Luke: Try.
Me: ???
Luke: Try to scare me.
Luke: Bet you can’t.
Me: If you could read my mind you’d be scared shitless right now
Luke: If you could read mine, you’d have your tongue buried in my ass right now
I look down in shock. The letters swim on my screen. I read the message twice to make sure I’ve read it right.
Is he for real? Is he seriously standing fifteen feet away from me looking hotter than hell, sexting me in public?
Me: Can we go home? PLEASE
He looks down at his screen and bites back a smile as he reads the message. My phone pings.
Luke: No
Me: If we don’t go home right the fuck now the training wheels are coming off
Luke: What does that mean?
Me: It means I’m done taking it easy on you
Me: It means you’re going to get railed
Me: It means you’re going to need my hand over your mouth to stop you from screaming
I’m watching him closely when he checks my messages. I expect to see a double take or a look of surprise, instead he looks up at me when he’s read the message and beckons to his chest with both hands, the universalbring itsign.
Seriously Lukey? What the fuck, man? You’re getting in over your head.
My phone buzzes again.
Luke: Look to your right.
I do. I see Chase leaning in, moving Izzy’s hair out of the way as he says something to her. She rolls her eyes and tries to muster a look of disdain, it falls short and tugs at the corners of her mouth instead. I can’t see his face as his back is to me, but I see hers. Her eyebrows raise and she takes a sharp breath, pausing for several seconds, then she throws her arms around him and kisses the ever loving shit out of him. He stands stock still, fists balled at his sides, until the kiss hits him, then his hands float up and find their way into her hair and around the small of her back and he crashes his body against hers.
I turn to see Luke with a hand clamped over his mouth, I can tell he’s trying not to squeal and jump on the spot. His eyes are glossy. So shiny, it looks like he might be holding back tears.
Though it’s not at all like me, and I’ll deny it if someone accuses me of it, my eyes mist up. It’s not so much that I’m happy for Chase and Izzy, it’s the fact that Luke is so fucking adorable. When I see him like that, literally bursting with goodness, the darkness in me recognizes the light in him. I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe he’s not the one who should run.
Maybe that’s me.
Instead of running, I find myself moving towards him. There’s a sense of urgency in me as I weave my way through the throng of moving bodies that separate us, the force that pulls me towards him is nothing short of magnetic.
He puts his arm out to greet me and I allow myself to be pulled in. He drapes an arm around my neck and I lean in.
“Can we go home?Please, Blue.” There’s a raw desperation in my voice that I should hate, and I almost do. The only reason I fall short of hating it is because he hears it and recognizes it for what it is; a plea. He takes a few steps back, pulling me with him as we disentangle ourselves from the group.
“Where’d you think you’re going?” calls an indignant Gould. We don’t answer, instead we turn and start walking as fast as we can. “Get back here! I can see you, you dicks!”
That only makes us move faster. We’re out of breath and stumbling with laughter by the time we get down the street.
